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Maple Leafs' Top 25 Under 25: #3 Jake Gardiner

Age is often used as a detriment in the Top 25 Under 25 series.

We've seen numerous examples through our list so far, including several who weren't explicitly pointed out, where an older player's ranking was adversely affected when compared against younger counterparts.

It makes sense. When looking at player development curves we seem to have a specific age range when a player is likely to reach their best combination of physical and mental tools - usually somewhere around the mid 20's with some variance from player to player. When you are trying to put together a list of the organization's best players under the age of 25, this becomes more pronounced.